


Falling Apart

by DoctorShield



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Death, Determination, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-22
Packaged: 2018-08-16 13:39:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8104483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoctorShield/pseuds/DoctorShield
Summary: Sans and Papyrus weren't always how you knew them. But why did that change?





	1. Cracks

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not really sure what my plan was here, but backstory. Sans is the most powerful monster in the underground, he's tall and strong. Papyrus is pretty small and weak, no magic attacks. This is after Chara but before Frisk falls down.

“Yo Paps, Undyne’s here, you coming out?”

Sans stood at the door, shouting up the landing. Papyrus wasn’t up yet and Undyne had come to ask if he was coming to their lesson today. 

“Has he even got up today?” Undyne asked, tilting her head back to speak to Sans, who, in true laziness, was levitating a ketchup bottle to his mouth and sucking from it slowly.   
Sans sighed and unlit his eyes, catching the bottle as it fell from its blue cloud.   
“I haven’t seen him yet, I figured you wore him out yesterday trying to get him to find his magic”   
“No, he shouldn’t be that tired, I didn’t go that hard on him!” Undyne replied, defensive yet worried she’d hurt poor Papyrus. She knew in her soul he didn’t have copious magic like his brother, but thought there might just be a trace he could use.  
“He might just be feeling down about not succeeding, I’ll go check on him and send him over, don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll gill over it soon” He said, catching Undyne’s worry. She glared for the pun, but nodded and headed off to see if Alphys was around for some more history lessons. 

Sans plodded upstairs, sucking thoughtfully on his ketchup bottle, wondering how best to cheer Papy up about his lack of magic. 

“Knock knock, are there any lazybones in there?” Sans called out through the door, waiting for a tell-tale groan from his brother, but instead 

“Go away Sans, I’m not in the mood” came a hoarse voice from behind the door.  
Sans tried the door handle, but it was locked (which was odd as Papyrus never locked his door or the bathroom door for that matter, like ever. That had led to a few awkward walk in scenarios when Paps was changing). Sans stalled, mulling over what to do. Either he walks away or try to get in, respect Papyrus’ wishes but leave him feeling bad, or push…

“Alright, I’m gonna leave you alone for an hour but then it’s dinner time and you promised me the new spaghetti recipe Undyne taught you.”   
Sans wandered off to his room, hands in his hoodie pockets. He walked over to his bed, using his magic to shift the clothes off without even thinking and lay down, musing what he could do.   
He’d always know Papyrus wasn’t as magically adept as he was, ever since he was younger. When Gaster had been around he’d always taken more interest in him, although at the time he couldn’t figure out why. Papyrus was older and in his head that had meant stronger. That was till things in the lab blew up, almost literally. It had been second nature to Sans to shield himself from the debris and flames with magic, he could still feel the panic he’d felt when he saw Papyrus helpless, trapped under debris, no sign off magic, not even a flicker of an eye glow. He’d rushed back to save him, pushing his young magic to the limit and shielding them both. That’s when he knew his brother was unlike him. Papyrus was normal, Sans was, as Gaster would say, exceptional. They never saw Gaster again, he’d been trying to save something, some machine when he disappeared in flashes of lights and flames. Sans didn’t really care, Gaster was blasé about Papyrus and pushed Sans too hard.  
It had taken Papyrus a few weeks to recover, Sans may have been young then, but he knew he had to step up and do something. He managed to get a cushy house with funds he’d repurposed from the now missing W.D Gasters account. As Papyrus recovered, they fell into a natural way of Sans taking care of Papyrus, and almost everything else. It really was a blessing that Undyne came around and offered Papyrus Royal Guard training, it had been doing his so much good (even if he wasn’t necessarily fighting, more feeding). Papyrus felt useful and capable and Sans knew that. That was until Asgore brought in compulsory magic training due to the threat of more humans falling in. Undyne had tried to get Papyrus hyped and in touch with his, but there just wasn’t any there. That crushed Papyrus, he could never be in the guard officially. 

Sans stretched and sighed. He’d warned Undyne about not pushing it, the physical signs were all there. Papyrus was pretty small and weedy without much soul glow, but she’d insisted that someone with so bold a personality must at least have some form of soul energy they could harness, even just by redirecting others power. But the results of the last session came up with nothing. She’d exhausted herself trying to redirect through Papyrus, and he’d stalked straight off to bed when he came back.

Sans checked the clock, it had been about an hour, he decided to try again. 

He wandered over and knocked 1, 2, 3 times. No response. Maybe he was in the kitchen? Sans listened out but there was no noise downstairs. He sighed again, audibly, and clicked his fingers. Papyrus’s door clicked open with a flash of blue and he wandered in.   
“Yo Paps, you can’t stay in bed all day, that’s my…”  
Sans stuttered to a stop, taking in the sight. The room was a tip. Figurines on the floor, desk pulled over, as if someone had thrown themselves around the room in anger?  
Or agony. Papyrus lay dangling off half the bed, half undressed and trembling. His bones had turned grey instead of their stark white. Sans rushed to his side, scooping him up, feeling the outer layer of his bones crumble, turning to dust on contact. Dust was everywhere, bed sheets, clothes. Papyrus was crumbling slowly. 

“Papyrus?! Can you hear me? Look at me, tell me what’s happened!”  
Papyrus coughed, the movement causing dust to rise on his bones. His voice was even hoarser than an hour ago.   
“Sans, I don’t think I’m very well”  
“No shit, we gotta get you to Alphys, she has to know what to do!”  
Papyrus tried to struggle, protesting “No, the wind, it’ll make me worse, please”   
“Fuck that” Sans replied, focusing briefly and appearing in Alphys’ lab.

“S s s sans! What’s going on?!” Alphys shrieked, jumping up from what seemed like underneath Undyne, Undyne leaping up from the coach looking decidedly flushed.  
“It’s Papyrus, he’s crumbling, I can’t do anything, help!” Sans practically shouted at the poor scientist.   
Sans was right though, Papyrus was looking weaker for the jump, more dust on Sans’ body then bones on Papyrus. Alphys, too flustered for words ran to the lab, Sans following, forming a barrier between Papyrus and the slight air movement that running caused in fear of losing more of his only family.

“Lay him down here, quickly” Alphys said, too focused to stutter now.   
Sans lay Papyrus down on a small white table, as Alphys hurried to the controls and started scanning and testing.

“You need to scoop some dust into a test tube for me, I need to see what’s happening to his DNA and I’m not risking taking a sample from his soul now.”  
Sans used a small brush and tube handed to him, and gently scrapped some of Papyrus’ remain into it.  
“Can you stabilise him Alphys? Please?” Sans begged, tears starting to stream on his face, eyes flicking from the reading to papyrus to Alphys.   
“I’m going to lock the pod down and feed everything I can that normally sustains Skeletons into it, I’m trying Sans” Alphys said, not looking up.  
Sans wasn’t rational though. As the stasis pod closed, he started to panic.   
“Alphys you gotta do something, I can’t lose him, ok?!” Sans said, towering over the small creature. It’s hard to not intimidate when you’re over 3 times as tall as someone…

“Hey Sans back off her, she’s gonna do her best and you should leave her do it, ok?” Undyne said, finally composing herself and defusing the situation. “Papyrus is in stasis, he can’t get worse, we’re gonna do everything we can, I already called Asgore to see if we can use the stored Magic to keep him going for as long as we need till we can cure him, he said yes, now come sit down.” 

Sans took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, Alphys was trying to remain composed but had tears prickling and needed space to work, he knew this.

“Fine, ok, you’re right” he looked back at Papyrus, now suspended, with various shimmering gases moving in the pod to sustain his fragile body for as long as they needed.

“Sorry Alphys, thanks.” He said, trailing off, moping out the room after Undyne.   
He flumped on the sofa, the soft hiss of the lab door shutting after him sealing Papyrus away till Alphys called them back.

Undyne sat across from him, clearing up some empty noodle packets and general rubbish, and then finding that the bin was full anyway, lay back on the sofa. Neither of them wanted to say anything for a while, even if they did what was there to say? Sans slowly slumped lower, till he was practically half his height in the seat, racking his brain for a cause.   
His eyes flicked to Undyne regularly, something slowly forming. The last thing Papyrus had done was redirect Undyne’s magic, the only thing out the ordinary for him was that. Could she have hurt him? Damaged him enough to kill him, slowly?  
He started to grind his jaw, she’d promised to go easy, that she’d done it so many times before, that it was safe, even if someone had no magic, at the levels they were using the only damage they’d receive was similar to knocks and bumps. But then Undyne had been known to be over confident, had she lied to Sans?

“Stop it Sans” came a harsh snap from across the room. Sans sat up and looked around, shocked.  
Without realising he’d called hoards of bones and blasters around him, all targeting Undyne. She herself had called her spear and shield up, glaring at him from over it. Sans unclenched his fists and shook his body. The magical tension in the room lowered considerably, and the eerie blue glow faded along with it.   
“Don’t think I’m not thinking it too. Did I hurt Papyrus? I didn’t think I’d even scratched his HP levels, I didn’t even graze his soul for damns sake. But now we’re here and he’s there and something has damaged him so, so bad. I can’t, I couldn’t live with myself if anything happens to him, I’m so sorry Sans!” Undyne burst out into sobs, spear fading, curling into a ball and shaking.

Sans didn’t know what to do, he still thought it was her, he couldn’t absolve her guilt, but he could comfort her. He called some soft blue energy and slowly pulled her up and next to him. Wrapping his long body around her, he held her and started to cry too. They sat and cried till they couldn’t shed another tear, slowly slipping in to a more comfortable silence.


	2. Breaking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second part is done, third is on it's way. I have a storyline worked out a bit more solidly now, reviews will fuel more writing if you want more! Thanks everyone!

A few hours later, the laboratory door hissed open again, and a much worn Alphys walked out. Sans and Undyne woke from an uneasy rest and looked pleadingly at the scientist.

“Sans, before you bombard me with questions, I need to ask you a few. Please try not to read into them, I just need to pin some stuff down. Alright”  
“Whatever you say doc.” Sans said, smiling albeit sadly at her.  
“Papyrus is stable in stasis, so we’re no longer rushing, there’s enough magic stored here to keep him going for almost 4 months, and Asgore said he’d put out a call for people to donate if we feel we need it.”   
Sans breathed a sigh of relief, and stretched, settling down again, signalling to Alphys to begin questioning.

“Has Papyrus had any long running health conditions? Any genetic weaknesses that might be at play that you know of?”   
“No, nothing I can think off. Gaster always used to say we were made of the finest stock, or something similar. Nothing genetically I know about.”

“Hmm, ok.” Alphys replied, jotting stuff down and crossing out things on her pad. “On that note, and this is going to sound strange, but please try and stick with me on it, but were either of you, actually born?”   
Sans stared at the scientist, thinking she must have over exerted herself.   
“What do you mean born? We both exist and we’re here. How can we not have been born?”

Alphys sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose and kicking off her lab shoes to curl up in the seat.

“I’m going to be plain with this. I was reading through Papyrus’ code and I found anomalies. Intron sections of genes seemed mashed together. As if someone had taken the best bits and just rammed them together. There’s also micro nucleotide tags, with codes on. It took me close to an hour to figure out what they were but they seem to have been written into your brothers DNA. Most I can’t figure out, references to pages and work I figure, but one thing that sprung up was 1-P. At the start of every code is that. So I decided to check your DNA for things out the usual too. I hope you don’t mind?” Alphys said, suddenly realising that she’d noised into the make-up of someone without permission. 

“It’s fine, please, keep saying what happened.” Sans said, rushing and needing to know what happened.

“Well, you have similar tags, but most interestingly yours all start with 2-S. Also, in the correlating sections of DNA to Papyrus, you have seeming mismatched coding, albeit much more intricate and neater than on Papyrus. It seems both of you are a mismatch of genetics, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I mean I can put together small sections of code for organisms, and they have basic amoeba functions, but never have I heard of larger sections working. I mean nothing larger than 3 cells big Sans. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Sans stared, processing all this.   
“Are you saying that Papyrus and me, are built, from sections of bits of DNA, like specimens.”  
“Well, essentially, yes. It goes further than that. I couldn’t believe it so I called up you birth certificates and registrations etc. and it’s all fake. Fantastically faked, but nothing real about you exists being born.”

“Well, shit.” Sans said. “Guess Gaster really meant what he said about us being made.” 

Alphys rubbed her cheeks, sliding off her lab coat she’d put on earlier, and pulling a Mew Mew cardigan off the floor to drape over herself.

Sans was shaken, it’s weird to find out that your, an experiment and not a real guy. But it still didn’t really explain Papyrus, unless?  
“Wait, so when you say Papyrus is, put together, messily…” Sans said, his voice trailing off as he locked eyes with Alphys. She nodded, her face the epitome of distress. 

“Well? What’s happening to Papyrus? Can someone tell me please?” Undyne burst out, looking alarmed as she stared at Sans, searching for answers.  
Sans stood up, walking away as Alphys started explaining softly to Undyne that Papyrus was literally falling apart, from the inside out and there was nothing they could do…

Sans stood outside, slumped against the wall watching the River guide bob quietly on the river, occasionally carrying a passenger to or from Hotlands. He couldn’t believe it. Papyrus was just going to fall away, there wasn’t anything they could do, he’d run out of energy, there was nothing left in Papyrus they could save. He wasn’t sick with something they could cure, but he couldn’t just let his brother fade away, he was so young. Hell, Sans would die before Papyrus. It just wasn’t fair!  
Sans wanted to be angry, he wanted to yell and shout, but who was there to be angry at? What good would it all do? He slumped to the ground, panting, instead of anger, he felt crushed. He couldn’t focus, there was a pressure on his chest, his soul. Was he falling apart too? He dug his hands in the ground, jaw clenching.

Alphys ducked out of the lab, looking around and finding Sans on the ground, experiencing a very severe anxiety attack.

“Hey Sans? Look at me, you’re fine, it’s ok, focus on me, breathe with me now.”  
Sans glared, couldn’t she see he was collapsing, he was going the same way as papyrus, why wasn’t she helping him?  
“Breathe with me, 4 seconds in, hold it, and 6 seconds out. Just do it, I know you hate me, just try it ok?” Alphys said again, leaning close and looking him in the eye.   
Sans slowly complied, feeling the pressure lift. Maybe he wasn’t falling apart.   
“It’s alright Sans, see, you’re ok. It was an anxiety attack, I get them all the time. Do you want to come back inside yet? It might be best you stay here tonight.”   
Sans nodded, embarrassed to have been found in such a state and to have not known what he was going through. He pushed himself up and trudged inside. Undyne was on the couch again, staring at the wall, a cup of tea in her hands, although it looked a little cold now. How long had Sans been outside?  
“Where do you want to sleep Sans? I could put you in the lab with Papyrus, or I can set you up on the couch.” Alphys said, grabbing some blankets and pillows from a hidden cupboard.  
“Couch is fine.” Sans said, shoulders slumped.  
Alphys nodded, putting the pile on the couch and nudging Undyne. She seemed to wake from a dream, looking at Sans, her face fell. She opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it. She followed Alphys up to the top level. Sans sat down alone now, the only sound some soft muttering upstairs, and what sounded like some quelled sobs.  
He felt his phone buzz, he dug it out of his shorts pocket. It was a text from Alphys.  
“I left the lab unlocked if you want to go in. We can work out a plan in the morning. Please try to sleep.”  
Sans chuckled, normally no one would have to tell him to sleep. He slept everywhere normally, but maybe tonight wasn’t going to be as easy.  
He got up and walked to the lab, the doors hissed open quietly. It was dark apart from the soft white light of the stasis pod. Papyrus looked so much smaller in there. The glittering gases around him would have made it look beautiful if Sans didn’t know they were the only thing stopping his only family from crumbling in front of him.

He leant against the back of the control console, knowing that Alphys would say there was nothing they could do. That prolonging Papyrus in stasis only made it worse for Sans to say goodbye. That they should just turn it off and let him go. Sans didn’t think he could do that. He didn’t think he could live alone, that he could just not do anything. He racked his brain for anything he could do, but he didn’t know if you could repair someone’s DNA as it fell apart. It wasn’t even important DNA, it was introns, the bits no one thought were important, but apparently, if they go, everything goes…

Sans must have dozed off, he woke up to find himself on the floor, a pillow under his head and a blanket on him. It seemed to have a garish anime print of some robot princess, regardless, he was grateful, the lab was pretty cold, the last thing he needed was to get sick.  
Undyne was sat across the room, knees up by her gills, watching Papyrus. “Hi.” She said, as she noticed Sans sitting up and stretching. Nothing changed. He’s stable”   
“Cool. Thanks.” Sans replied, just as dully as Undyne had been, both of them in a limbo of knowing there’s no hope but also desperate to hope.

Alphys wandered in, lab coat already on with a stack of papers in her arms, flicking through the top few, glasses high on her face. She walked to her desk and dumped the papers on the desk.   
“Before you both ask, I’m not turning Papyrus off. I mean, umm, we leave stasis running. I’m not giving up.”   
Sans was taken aback. He’d been preparing for the worst all night, preparing to fight for his brother’s life as long as he could.   
“But, you said there was nothing we can do? How the hell do you plan to not give up when there are no options to try?!” Undyne yelled.   
Alphys spluttered, trying to explain to Undyne. Sans decided he should step in,   
“Undyne cool it. Leave Alphys alone, she’s probably got a plan. Come with me, you’re probably hungry. Let’s get something to eat.”  
Undyne stalked out of the lab, Sans followed, but not before turning to Alphys.  
“Alphys, I can’t thank you enough. I’ll cool her off and we can talk about it later. I can’t thank you enough. Thank you so much”  
Alphys blushed a deep red and shooed him out.   
Undyne was stood outside, leant against the wall, arms crossed in defiance.  
“Chill Undyne. Alphys is trying to help. Why get mad at her?”  
Undyne huffed, kicking at the ground.  
“Because she told me she couldn’t do anything. And because she said I didn’t damage Papyrus and that it was going to happen regardless. If she lied on one, maybe I did cause it.”   
Sans sighed, he could see how Undyne might think that, and knew Alphys meant no harm.   
“Look, she probably just remembered something she read, or just couldn’t let Papyrus go easily, kinda like us. Let’s go get something to eat.”  
Undyne shrugged and nodded.  
They walked over to the River guides spot and waited for them to arrive. The soft whoosh of the boat was calming as they travelled over to Grillbys in quiet, Sans didn’t normally take the boat, preferring to just teleport over where he needed to be, but found the ride calming, it was almost nice to travel this way.

They arrived and trudged over to the café, Undyne grumbling about the cold on the way. The café was pretty quiet, Grillby looked up, smiling as they walked in. A few other monsters looked up, saying hey as they wandered in. It felt almost normal.  
“Grillby, I’ll have 2 bottles of ketchup and Papyrus will have the” Sans tailed off.   
He looked at Undyne and his face fell again. He’d forgotten. Undyne picked it up quickly though as Sans started to shut down again, amazed he’d forgotten so quickly the moment some normal routine had come back.  
“Papyrus isn’t very well, I’ll get a burger”   
Sans rested his head in his hands, tired again.  
He didn’t stir till Grillby passed him the bottles.   
“Hey, whatever it is, you’re going to be fine. Come by anytime you need a break” Grillby said,   
smiling at Sans. He didn’t have it in him to smile back.   
The meal passed in that odd way that time does when something is only half relaxing. Undyne was pretty quiet too. It’s hard when you’re best friend is in a stasis pod on the edge of life.

Soon he found himself back in the lab, the ride back had passed in a dream. Alphys pushing a cup of something warm into his hands. He had a feeling that would be something Alphys might do often.   
“Do you want the hear the plan Sans, or would you rather have a rest after Grillbys?” 

“No, it’s cool, what’s your idea?”   
“Well, it’s not really a strong plan, I mean, it’s mostly a guess, but I figure it might be worth trying, Papyrus is worth trying for.” Alphys said, looking over at the stasis pod, no doubt remembering how bright and bold Papyrus was, he could light up any room. So could his stasis pod it seemed.  
Sans nodded, hoping Alphys would carry on.  
Alphys smiled, picking up the pile of papers and putting them in front of everyone.  
“I decided that if Gaster had the science to make both of you exist successfully, then maybe there’s something left in his notes we can use. I’ve pulled everything out of the labs I can. Maybe if I can work out how he did it I can work out a cure or medicine? Like I said it’s mostly a guess, I don’t know what there is, but it’s worth a try.”   
Undyne nodded, agreeing that Papyrus would try anything, he’d believe he could do something till the last second.

Sans stood up, starting to smile and really feel it for the first time since he brought Paps here, grabbing the top quarter of the papers and turning to head to the couch.   
“Let’s get started then Alphys.”


	3. Cracks Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm literally just writing this as I go, I haven't got a chance to proof-read, just trying to write and enjoy it. If anyone finds it interesting feel free to let me know.  
> *Edit, for some reason it didn't post my paragraph breaks, so i've messed around a little and put the all back in, hopefully that breaks up the text wall a bit. Working on the next chapter being up by tonight*

Months have passed.

Sans woke up in a sweat again. He’d been dreaming he’d been in the lab and that the stasis pod had stopped working and he’d been holding Papyrus as he turned to dust in his arms. Just a dream, he told himself again, as he did every morning. He rolled out of bed. He was sleeping in Papyrus’ room. He’d put all the figures back as they were, cleaned everything, but he didn’t have it in him to thrown the dust scattered around the room away, he’d saved what he could and kept it in a jar. It was a little morbid he knew, but he couldn’t let anything go just yet. They had to be close to a breakthrough. It had been so long.  
Sans padded downstairs, pulling on his hoodie over the same white (albeit slightly grey now) t-shirt he’d been wearing for a week or so, whenever Alphys had last made him change clothes. His hands found Papyrus’ cape in his pocket, he wasn’t without it anymore, it felt comforting to have something around of Pap, staying at the lab was too exhausting, the sight of Papyrus so weak made him feel hopeless and he had to stay determined. He stood in the living room, hands in his hoodie, took a breath and jumped to the River guides spot in Snowdin. He used to walk over, say hi to Grillby and grab breakfast on the way, but once the call for magic reserves to be topped up was put out, people put it together that Papyrus was dying, they looked at Sans with that look of pity. Most everyone knew about Gaster untimely demise, this just seemed another unfortunate tragedy to happen to the family. Sans didn’t want pity, so he avoided almost everyone now, although Grillby would still somehow get a note sent to Sans that he needed to come to the café. He’d kick everyone out early and would sit in the quiet sometimes, letting Sans just talk or drink as he needed. Sans appreciated it, it was nice to not feel pitied. Grillby would sometimes tell Sans about his family, how they were doing in school in Hotlands. Grillby hadn’t been able to see them since they got trapped in the underground. He couldn’t touch snow or water, and although Sans offered multiple times to teleport him over, he insisted he wouldn’t make the journey. It was sad, but Sans could at least carry letters and money between the family. He hoped he made their lives a little easier. It was the only thing that ever came from travelling to the lab each day. They’d initially found the methods and techniques Gaster had used, but since then they hadn’t been able to work out what to do from there. Gaster’s notes were confusing and secretive, Sans had even scoured the notes he’d taken from the lab the day the fire started all those years ago. There was nothing useful they could work it, and everything that looked useful, they couldn’t work out the references used. They knew that somehow Gaster had used extracted Determination in the making of both the brothers, but they didn’t know how he’d successfully got a monster soul to hold it without losing form.

The River guide was already waiting when Sans appeared, nodding quietly as Sans climbed on. Since he’d started making the journey regularly via boat, never had he needed to wait for the River guide, they never had a passenger already, and always seemed to be waiting just for Sans. He didn’t know how, but he was grateful. They never spoke to him, only nodded hello and goodbye. There was no pity, only routine. It made a difference. The soft whoosh of the boat stopped and Sans disembarked, smiling to the guide as he turned and looked at the lab. He walked up the steps and pushed into the lab, expecting to see Alphys in her cardigan (having long given up on her lab coat now) on the sofa scanning through more papers. Except Alphys wasn’t on the sofa, she was stood, talking to King Asgore. They hadn’t noticed Sans walk in and Asgore was disappointed about something

“Alphys I can’t keep allowing this. You said you could work it out but you’ve not come up with anything. This was your last chance after all those monsters went missing and what do you have to show for yourself? A practically dead brother and another so deep in grief I doubt he’ll ever recover because you keep stringing him on that you can do something.”  
Alphys spluttered and tried to speak, noticing Sans and desperately trying to tell Asgore, but he seemed to be ignoring the small scientist. “I’m sorry, but you have three days before the magic runs out. I’m not putting out a call for anymore. You’ll have to tell Sans...” Asgore trailed off. He’d turned as he said the last sentence, and finally noticed what Alphys had been trying to point out.  
Sans stood in the door way, eye sockets black and empty, fuming and drawn up to his full height. He was a good head taller than Asgore when he didn’t slouch. Asgore went still as a rock. Sans was furious. Three measly days? Asgore was going to kill off Papyrus. In three fucking days. Sans whirled round and stormed out.  
“Sans please wait! Please, don’t go!” Alphys shouted, running out after him, catching the corner of his hoodie. Sans stopped and turned to stare down the scientist. Pulling his hand out of his pocket he called a solid wall of bones up behind him.  
“Back the fuck up Alphys. I swear if you fucking say we can keep trying I’m going to” Sans stopped speaking. His eyes caught on the red cape he’d dropped summoning his magic. The bones dissipated. Asgore stood in the doorway, face ashen, eyes fixed on the skeleton who’d almost killed the scientist, a friend. Asgore knew he would struggle to stop Sans if he went AWOL. Sans ignored him, leaning and picking up the cape. His anger was gone, replaced by a dead weight in his chest. Clutching the fabric to his chest, he disappeared. The last thing he saw was Alphys collapsing, caught by Undyne, who’d just arrived.

Sans was back in his living room, collapsing under the dead weight of what was going to happen. That he’d failed to save his only family and that it was all over. Tears streamed down his skull, wracking sobs shaking his ribcage. He felt he’d throw up, or pass out. It was all over. Papyrus was going to die. Some time passed, the sobs stopped shaking his whole body and he started to breathe a little more. His face was soaking wet, and his hoodie, and the patch of carpet he’d been laying on. He hadn’t moved since collapsing. He rolled onto his side, looking at the living room for the first time, noticing the pile of socks Papyrus had always told him to move.  
Except, it was covered in snow? In fact, so was the room. What the fuck had happened? He sat up for real, looking around. A blizzard seemed to have passed through his house. The last time this happened Papyrus left the door open while at training, but Sans had jumped out the house, he hadn’t opened the door in weeks, months even. He stood up, figuring he’d been robbed. But who the fuck would rob his house. Even Asgore wouldn’t challenge him so who? He checked both the bedrooms, but nothing was touched, the hallway was coated in snow, dusting everything and banking in the corners, but nothing was taken. He went back downstairs and that’s when he saw it. The walls were covered in, weird markings. Symbols over and over again. It repeated, round and round the walls, looking like scorch marks. On the table, he saw the research papers he’d borrowed from Alphys, the ones Gaster had written. He didn’t leave them on the table, but worst of all, they were covered in the symbols, completely obscuring the first set of pages.  
Sans was furious again. What if something useful was on them? Who would deface work like this?

He snapped his fingers and teleported to Grillby's, “Who broke into my house?” Sans said, a little too loudly as he appeared in the bar. It was busy with monsters eating breakfast before some travelled to work and school. Everyone looked up, shocked to see the skeleton who had long been reclusive since Papyrus had gone. It was a surprise to see him public.  
“Well? Who broke into my fucking house and vandalised it?” Sans reiterated, fuming.  
Grillby walked out from behind the bar, grabbing Sans by the shoulders and pulling him into the back room, sitting him down. “Grillby what the hell? Someone broke into my house and scorched the walls. Who the hell could do that?” Sans yelled, staring down the bartender. The bartender who was a fire monster. Sans eyed him up  
“Don’t even say it Sans, how could I even get to your house? If I could get to your house, I would be in Hotlands with my family years ago.” Grillby said, rubbing his face.  
Sans slumped, that was pretty stupid of him to think. “I don’t know what happened to your house, but I have to ask something.” Sans looked at Grillby and gestured to go ahead. Grillby pulled a box from against the wall and sat down, sighing. “I’m guessing they’re giving you a deadline for curing Papyrus"  
Sans looked up sharply. “How do you know?” he snapped, wondering how many more people did.  
“Cool it, One of the Royal Guards was in here a few nights ago, talking about how they were glad to be getting out of Snowdin and back to their usual post. That they were sick of hounding people for magic donations. I figured that Papyrus wasn’t better yet because you’re still down, so I guess they’ve decided it’s been long enough.” Grillby said, leaning forward on his box to rest on his knees, flame a little duller.  
“Yeah, Asgore said I’ve got three days and then that’s it. I don’t know if I can cope Grillby. He’s all I’ve got left.” Sans said, choking up, he couldn’t admit it was real yet, it seemed too hard. Grillby sighed, putting a hand on his forehead and rubbed, small sparks of flame shooting off from the friction.  
“Just, promise me you won’t do anything stupid. It’s hard but please Sans, stick around ok?”  
Sans looked at him, wondering what he meant, but then it clicked, Grillby thought he might end it with Papyrus. He was going to deny it, but it had been in the back of his mind. He felt guilty for thinking it, knowing the pain it would leave behind in his wake.  
“Ok, sure. You’re right. Thanks.”  
Grillby nodded and stood up, turning to pull open the back door.  
“You made quite a scene in the front, you might prefer to leave out the back. If you want, I’ll organise some monsters to come and clean up your house. I know a few over in waterfall who owe me a favour. I promise they’ll stay quiet about it.”  
“Thanks Grillby, I’d appreciate it. Just don’t let them touch Paps room or stuff.” Sans replied, trudging out the back into the snow. Grillby smiled a little sadly and closed the door, leaving Sans to think on his own.

He decided to take the wrecked papers back to Alphys, and start making a plan for Papyrus, or what was left of him. As he wandered back into the living room, he thought the symbols looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. Maybe an old book? It was probably just some old drawings. He grabbed the papers and walked to the River guide, using the time to prepare himself for the few days ahead, trying to quell his fear, a step at a time, right?


End file.
